Rochdale

[Response from Rochdale to the fan comment from Jo Newall below]

The Safety Officer at Rochdale has commented:

All coaches are requested to approach the ground and Ings lane via a specified route. Unless they have pre-arranged parking on site.
Unless they are then permitted, via the list, to park on site, we instruct all who attempt to stop outside our gates, to move on and park where instructed.

We are unable make any exceptions as we would be authorising mini buses and traffic to stop and unload on what is a busy road. Spectators and other road users views are obstructed by a coach parked here and we would equally be criticised for allowing this to happen, if an RTC was to occur because of it. Sandy Lane is only 2 single carriage ways and parking on one of those carriage ways outside the main entrance to our car park is dangerous.
We have recent Police and Local Authority advice on this issue and offloading or parking on the main road is not an option.
The vehicle is described as an accessible minibus, but we do not appear to have a record of a contact with the club to arrange parking? Where we are contacted then we will endeavour to find space on the car park. If it is not on the parking list for the game, then the stewards are obliged to move it on.

The Club also comment that the roads outside the stadium are not suitable for Minibus or Coach parking. We advertise on our website of a set route for coaches to take them to the nearby designated parking area (actually on Ings Lane) and this is not a direct route to the Stadium. Vehicles who are following the Sat Nav route to the stadium will end up outside and will be refrained from unloading on the road by the stadium.

We will normally try and accommodate a Minibus of this nature, but our parking area is restricted and we cannot do this without prior arrangement. Nor can we accommodate a large coach.

The Club are sorry that this has occurred but prior communication via the Club Secretary / SLO would have alleviated the situation and increased awareness

Just checked my last review of Rochdale is in 2012 but I am sure I have been several times since! At the start of our journey I made the stupid claim, that we never have problems at Rochdale! The accessible mini-bus that we travel in to away grounds is part of our Club’s official away travel and our Box Office Manager always arranges parking for the minibus. When we approached the car park at Rochdale this time we were told very abruptly “you are not on my list, so you can’t come in here, even to drop off, you have got to go where the coach is and come back in the dark crossing over roads” (great for my husband who cannot see at all in the dark). Our stewards who were with us had never experienced such an unhelpful response and when they asked to speak to her manager, she told them she did not have one! After phone calls to the Safety Manager of our home club, we were allowed on the car park to unload and drop off. Not what we expected at Rochdale!

Getting Tickets:
The ticketing team did a good job when my carer called to buy tickets for this game. I was able to book the tickets for me and my carer AND book one the Blue Badge car parking spaces next to the stadium at the same time.
Arriving at the Ground:
The car park attendants had my car details so we got in quickly and one of the stewards directed me to the parking space which had been reserved.
Programmes:
Buying programmes at the entrance was easy.
Entering the Stadium and Viewing Position:
The stewards directed me to my sitting position which was at pitchside level. For most of the game the view was good although there were quite a few young fans who wanted to stand at the barriers which blocked my view and the view of other fans in wheelchairs or the lower front seat rows. My carer had to ask fans to move. Other fans coming down from their seats to buy coffees etc during the match also blocked views when they stopped to watch the game. The biggest problem occurred when the game ended in a draw and penalties were taken. The crowd all moved in front of the seating areas next to the barriers so the wheelchair users and other fans in the lower seats could not see. We had to push our way to the front but it was very difficult and there was a lot of jostling.
Toilet Facilities:
There is no Changing Places facility at the Crown Oil Stadium.
Food and Drink:
My carer bought drinks. I have a manual wheelchair but wonder whether the high serving hatch and the barriers for queuing would make it impossible for someone in a powered wheelchair to buy their own food and drink?

I bought our tickets in advance over the phone 3 weeks prior to the match & also booked & paid for a disabled car parking space, £5. I also had to pay a £2 admin charge for paying by debit card even though I collected the ticket on the day.

On arriving at the ground no one directed us to a parking space so we parked in a disabled space. On steward asked us if we had a permit so we just said yes & he walked away. I later asked another steward if we were ok parking there & he didnt know but said someone else usually parks there but he went to check, We were parked in the correct space for away fans so found it strange that someone else “usually” parks there. Another York fan was told where to park & later on when we were in the ground a group of stewards demanded he moved his van as he was in someone elses space. When he refused they got quite nasty & asked for his keys so they could move it. He eventually had to move.

Prior to the match I looked for a programme seller but couldnt find any so I asked a steward where they were, He didnt know, so I asked another, he didnt know either so I asked him where the shop was, he did know that, The shop was wheelchair friendly & the assistant very friendly too.

Trying to enter the ground one steward directed us to a gate, but we were told it was the wrong one & we were sent to another. No one told us where we had to go but saw another York wheelchair person so we followed him.

Again plenty of spaces for us. And we were pitchside infront of our own fans. Good view except when the stewards were constantly having “meetings” blocking our view & constantly walking infront of us.

We had a meat & potato pie each from the refreshments bar & it was lovely. £3 and hot.

The bar was open for home & away fans, so we went in there before the match & had a drink & watched tv.

A good day at one of the better grounds only spoilt by undertrained ignorant stewards.

Upon arriving at Spotland our club’s wheelchair accessible minibus was efficiently directed to a parking space convenient for getting to the ticket office as Rochdale staff when we rang had told us to buy our wheelchair user tickets on the day. Box office has flat access and friendly staff. To then get to the accessible entrance on Wilber Street you need to go back round the car park and get onto the left hand pavement whilst still in the car park as Wilber Street has the steepest kerbs going with no dropped stretches that we could see. Wilber street boasts a very popular chippy, food excellent & reasonable – one step to get in. Otherwise ground appears to be in a residential area with limited other amenity outlets. Flat access to the Wilbur Street stand is through the underneath of the away stand where the loos and refreshment counter are, this area is quite dark. Seating for away fan wheelchair users is at pitch level at the front of the away suppporters facing the dug-out. About 6 spaces with 2 seats for PAs between each space. Excellent view of the game and view not interrupted by stewards walking past as we have been experiencing at some other grounds. Stewards were almost invisible in a positive sense, relaxed & well organised. No headset commentary for visually impaired away fans unless they are willing to sit with the home fans. Cleanliness of the accessible toilet in the Wilber Street stand was extremely poor. Clear it had not been cleaned since at least before the last game. If I could have physically avoided sitting on it I would. No water to wash your hands in the basin. I did report this to a steward who said he would sort it (hope he has, for this reason I always travel with hand wipes). Toilet roll holder on the wall was lose which made it difficult to use and the plugs on the grab rail at the side of the loo were a good few inches out of the wall. Seemed solid enough when you touched it but certainly looked worrying. We visited the week after Rochdale were relegated and overall it seemed that the accessible loo sadly reflected the general pervasive malaise at the club with a very small quiet home crowd, hopefully this is a temporary thing. A highlight was the Ability Counts children’s match on the pitch at half time which was well supported by all fans.